The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-11

EdllZiuB AMERICAN DOTH women 10 VOto oeoI duu
rights away from all foreign born women" and
urging said Poles and Germans to register. the
alliance offering TO pay the expenses OF natural-
cation papers. Consequently. about $50 of these
women registered. ] counteracted this false
hood as far possible by issuing pamphlets and
circulars in German, and sowing the city knee
deep with temperance literature. As If to seek
the very depths Of infamy, the seven licensed
brothel keepers, with their twenty seven in
mates, were put into Nicely hacks" and the
Jail was unlocked and inmates registered.
In our work for law and order we had the
most aggressive and powerful support OF the
Times. the great Republican daily paper, that is
a power, not only locally, but in State and Ma
ton, under the strong ownership and daring.
brilliant, aggressive and far-seeing Col. u. H.
Anthony. brother of his well known sister. The
alliance boycotted the Times This move only
made the Times the more fearless, and the tops
were literally taken off the dens of deceit and in
fanny and the sunlight of truth let in.
took great care that no personalities should
mar the woman's work, but the great arguments
of justice and sobriety-law and order-aloue
should be the weapons, with ballots, that our
special hosts should WELD.
Driven to desperation at the enfranchised
women, SANDER was their next refuge. This
they must hurl at me to destroy my influence
with women before election day. One Insley,
whose father was banker and deeply concerned In
the jobs and rings of the city telegraphed to
my home for my record" He got it in such
strong and complimentary terms that the 81 %
he paid for the dispatch was worse than lost to
his purpose. Stupg at the failure of all at
tempts to 'get rid of the Indiana wom
an" and thereby divide the ranks OF wom-
en-, they secured the services of pur-
ported reporter of the New York World
and st. Louis Post-Dispatch to interview
me on the general subject of suffrage work in
the State. pleasant conversation OF one hour
took place, in the presence OF my host Colonel
ID. r. Anthony and family. Only words of
praise of Leavenworth women were spoken He
To 1icha fha yCr1d ho
Kansas City Times and other whisky sheets,
that I had declared "Leavenworth women
frightfully immoral and the trading in wives of
common occurrence" This came like whirl-
wind into the community just the day before
the election. 1t was only a paragraph a col
urnn OF vile SANDER and libel of the whole cause
of'temperance ana law and order The most
intense excitement prevailed. l had the young
Gus Thomas. reporter, under arrest for criminal
libel in less than two hours after the Times hac
appeared on the streets, and pamphlets denying
his statement scattered over the city, thus
destroying the satanic plot brought about by
such foul means to break the ranks of the new
voters. II woman suffrage means anything it
is that the usual methods of campaign SANDER
ing shall be done away with; and a few slanderers
brought to grief will enforce the lesson. and
this the Kansas women are determined to do.
All conspired to bring every element to the
polls the next morning. On one side were ar
rayed the great mass of the churches, citizens in
favor of law and order, the organized working
men and their wives; on the other side were the
whisky men masse, formidable host. the
floating population. small percentage of
respectable people. all of whom had some finan-
cial interests to subserve in keeping the old ad-
mnistration in power, and brothelkeepers who
had been promised that the old system of deal
ing with them should be continued.
There were no neutral elements. Everybody.
both sexes, worked with will. Groups of law
and order women assembled in the churches and
reading-rooms where committees gave them
proper tickets. and carriages conveyed them to
the polls. After voting, many remained at the
polls to use their persuasive powers.
The women opposed to law and order had no
Headquarters and were not strong enough to
assemble, but they worked with energy
worthy of better cause. The utmost decorum
prevailed. and good nature regned supreme.
So far as | am able to the influence and
results of woman suffrage, in this trying posi-
ton, where good and bad used all possible infu-
ence. | conclude that as many women will vote
as mon where the issues are moral rather than
financial
Women belonging to churches, phil anthropic
women, practical, domestic wives and careful
mothers form the majority vote for law and or
dor.
Women whose husbands are dealers in intoxi-
cants, and those having husbands interested in
the jobs and rings of the administration, are
stirring campaigners in their own supposed in
terests regardless of public welfare or good
morals
The few keepers and inmates of brothels voted
but went Immediately from the polls.
Wives of drinking men, unless German, al
most invariably voted for temperance. and many
Germans were persistent workers for the law and
order ticket. About one-third OF all German
women voted the temperance ticket. the remain
ing two thirds would not vote away der liberty
and der beer" This merely shows the necessity
Of work among the Germans.
Irish women were not as ready to register as
other classes of foreigners. but did not find
one that voted other than the straight temper
ance ticket. Some were enthusiastic workers.
The colored women were the most Jealous
on election day for law and order and were most
outspoken against those men OF their race who
sold their votes worked for other than tenn
perance and the Republican ticket.
VIII they buy and sell Yes, in few in
stances only. There were those who corrupted
and were corrupted. and those that intimid ared
and were ntimidated. but this was done by house
toulouse calling by women, as general thing
calling themselves the upper stratum" of 80
ciety, their chief occupation being poodle pet
ting, progressive euchre playing and growing
at inefficient servants" These women used
their pernicious influence usually upon very
poor and dependent women who feared to offend
them.
The result, officially counted out, in Leayen.
worth where the good and bad elements of So
ciety were brought to the surface, was fully
two-thirds for temperance law. order and men
of the cleanest records The last election put
the Democratic Mayor in power as we'll as the
large majority of his council by l. 700 majority
The present returns, which at this writing
considered fraudulent. return the same Mayor
by a bare sixteen majority, with council TO,
law and order. Thus, by woman's first attemp o,
at city politics the Democratic stronghold oil
Kansas with its whisky alliance, has its major
ity wiped out, and Democracy must cross the
river on this question as 1t did in the days oil
slavery. Not a Democratic Mayor is left in
Kansas. women of Topeka, Fort Scott and other
cities having done the same good service for the
Republicans of Kansas. Municipal corruption
is one of the great questions Of American poll
tics the tramp and saloon vote bosterine
Democracy to the detriment of good morals anc
good government Kansas women have proven
by their conduct in the present contest, that the
home vote is all powerful to overcome both these
Democratic influences. The party that lives in q
republic must legislate in the moral interests Of
the people.
The Republican party in Kansas has acted
wisely. as the test shows, in enfranchising hel
women. So let Us reasonably conclude that al
human nature is about the same the States ovel
that the Republican party has nothing to los,
and all to gain by advocating and bringing abou
the enfranchsement of women as it did the ne
gro. Negro suffrage a political necessity t.
save the Republican party. Woman suffrage il
less a moral necessity for the perpetuity O
good government. Kansas is a worthy leader tt
follow. HELEN NJ. COUGAR
Another and Less Rosy View.
Atchison Letter in New York World.
The suffrage was a measure devised and ap